1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective outerwear for firefighting and more specifically to a fireman's turnout coat featuring a moisture-repellant outer shell and a thermal resistant liner.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many cases, protective outerwear for firefighters features an outer shell, designed primarily to repel water, and a liner, designed to protect the firefighter's body from the moisture and intense heat sometimes encountered while firefighting. The combination of the shell and liner is often heavy and uncomfortable in the elevated temperatures associated with firefighting. Some firefighters have demonstrated a tendency to remove the liner and wear the outer shell alone. This arrangement provides inadequate protection to the firefighter and can result in injury.
One advantage of the current invention is to provide a firefighter's turnout coat with a visual indication of the liner's presence to ensure supervisory personnel that the firefighter is wearing his protective coat correctly. Other coats designed for firefighting with related advantages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,725 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,806.
It is another advantage of the current invention to provide a coat whose operability is significantly diminished when worn improperly. This encourages the wearer utilizing the equipment properly to protect himself. A reference related to this advantage is U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,233.
Another objective of the current invention is to keep the firefighter as dry and comfortable as possible while fighting the fire. Some references disclosing a firefighter's coats with similar advantages are U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,759 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,753. In addition, another advantage of the invention is the comfort it provides to firefighters who carry materials strapped to their backs, such as oxygen packs. The invention is constructed so a to minimize the discomfort often associated with the straps.